These boots were made for walking....

Nancy Sinatra....didn't do anything for me this song.

Whilst the weather is this good I thought I'd do some legwork in the Forest of Bowland and check out a few hidden corners along the way.

Three Peaks. Peter Guy.

Peter Guy is obviously a mind reader as today he sent me this brilliant B/W photograph of the Three Peaks taken from the top of Catlow Fell. An appropriate picture for this post on Birds2blog as the Forest of Bowland is where I've been today.

I first called in at Christ Church at Abbeystead to find about 8 House Martins overhead all the time I was there but no breeding activity seen, a pair of Great-spotted Woodpecker and a Stoat running along a wall was surely in for a kill with several Rabbits in the churchyard. A couple of hours up the Hawthornthwaite access track from Marshaw was worth the effort if only to find a Painted Lady butterfly, only my fourth this year and only the fifth recorded in our area, 30 Meadow Pipits were seen in one hour on the outward leg  and a 'large' number of Swallows > South, 2 Red Grouse, and a Dipper.

Up the track behind Tower Lodge I found at least 3 Spotted Flycatchers - but had five sightings - but these three had to be relegated by the Whinchat I found thirty minutes later, also of note 2 Song Thrush, 2 Blackbirds, a Treecreeper, 6 Coal Tits, 8 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Kestrel, a Buzzard, and Peregrine Falcon. Heading towards Winfold Fell I saw 7 Red Grouse including a pair with three juveniles.

And finally....

 

Little Egret. Gary Jones.

Gary also appropriately supplied me with this photograph of the Little Egret of which an amazing ninety four went to roost at Leighton Moss last night, info from the LDBWS website. I suppose the title for this picture has to be 'Who ruffled your feathers then'.

I have it on good authority of a juvenile Little Ringed Plover on Conder Pool yesterday, also on the same good authority of a pair of Stonechat with four young up from Cross of Greet Bridge which is excellent news.